Safety Tips for Families Who Want Security and Privacy

Your home has basic safety measures, but you can go further. Here are the best safe home tips to help keep your family life secure and private.

Crime is driving America crazy, and Virginia Beach is no exception. Between 2020 and 2021, crime in the city increased by more than 2%. 93% of the crimes in the city are property crimes, including home invasions and burglaries. 

You can suffer from a home invasion at any moment. But you are not helpless against thieves. Safe home tips are your best deterrents, and they are easier to follow than you think. 

What should you do about your doors and windows? What safety measures should you follow on social media? How can you prevent break-ins and respond to one as it is occurring? 

Answer these questions and you can increase your home security in no time. Here is your quick guide.

Lock Your Doors and Windows

Many thieves enter homes by walking in through unlocked doors or opening unlocked windows. You should keep all of your doors and windows locked, even during the daytime. 

More than 720,000 motor vehicles were stolen in the United States in 2019. You should lock your garage doors as well as the doors to your cars. Do not put your keys on a keychain next to your door, as a thief can grab them easily and then steal your vehicle.

If you don't have good locks, you should install new ones, including chain locks. You can add jimmy plates to your sliding doors so thieves cannot lift them off their tracks. You can also reinforce your door jambs with steel so burglars cannot kick them down.

Install Films Over Your Windows

Thieves can look in through your windows to see if you are home or not. They can also decide if your house is worth breaking into by looking for expensive pieces of property. 

A privacy window film will make it harder for a thief to look through your window. The film is translucent, so some light will pass through and your room won't be dark. But the tint will prevent thieves from being able to see if you are home or not. 

Look at a few different safety and security window films before you select one. Try to find one that prevents your windows from being shattered. You can also select a film that blocks UV rays, which cause skin damage.

Films are one important safety tool, but they work best in conjunction with other safety measures. You should move valuable objects away from view. It's okay to keep your television in your living room, but you should put jewelry and cash in locked drawers.

Don't Tell People Where You Are

If you are leaving your home to go on vacation, you can ask someone to check your house and care for your pets and plants. You should refrain from telling anyone else that you are leaving. The more people you tell, the higher your risk is for a break-in.

Do not post on social media that you are leaving your house. You should also avoid posting images of the interior of your home. This gives thieves information about how they can break into your home and what they can steal. 

Leave Something on When You Leave the House

If a thief thinks someone is home, they are less inclined to break in. At a minimum, you should leave a few lights on in your house. Try flicking lights on in different rooms to give the impression that multiple people are home. 

You can also leave the television or radio on. This reinforces the idea that someone is home, and the device creates noise that draws your neighbors' attention.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

You should take a look out through your windows every few hours or so. Try to look at hard-to-see areas like corners and alleyways. If you have blind spots that you cannot see, you should install security cameras in them.

You can listen to music, but don't put the volume up too high. You want to be able to hear if someone opens a door or window downstairs. 

Before you go to bed, you should do a quick inspection of your house. You can use a flashlight to look in your basement or attic.

If you have a bad gut feeling about something, you should take action. You may want to call someone and invite them over so you are not feeling alone. You can also call your police department through a non-emergency line and ask an officer to inspect your home.

Deal With Emergencies Fast

If someone has broken into your house and you are not home, you should not panic. You should go to a place where you feel safe and call the police. Stay there until you get confirmation from the police that it is safe.

If you are home during a break-in, you should evacuate your home. Make as little noise as possible and escape through a back door or window. Go to a neighbor's house or an occupied business and call 911. 

If you can't evacuate, you should secure yourself in your room. Place a sturdy object in front of your door and hide in a closet or behind a piece of furniture. 

Do not call attention to yourself. Yelling at a thief can scare them and encourage them to attack you. You can call 911 on your cellphone and use your keypad to answer the responder's questions without saying anything.

Follow Simple Safe Home Tips

Safe home tips are simple yet profound. You should always lock your doors and windows, and you should put a film over your windows. 

Trick people into thinking you are home when you are not. Do not post on social media about where you are going, and keep a television on. 

Scan your surroundings before you go to bed or leave a room. Once a break-in occurs, you should protect yourself by evacuating or sheltering in place. 

Get all the tools you need for family safety. Applied Film Technology provides window films for Virginia Beach residents. Browse our services today.